How Do You Make Your Organization More Attractive to High-Demand Tech Talent?

Recently, we have been having a hard time getting our top candidates to accept offers with our company. We are looking for very specialized and advanced skill sets that are in high demand for a lot of other tech companies in our area.

What tactics do you use, or what changes have you implemented, to make your organization more attractive to top talent?

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Compensation.... #1
You need to compensate well, provide short work weeks, lots of vacation, good insurance, and have a good location.
If you don't offer more than your competition, expect to get outbid.

Although pay and holiday packages are important, as an IT firm, your HR as well the operations should focus on individual career development. Even if you pay less, if the resources see future growth, they will stick on. Secondly keep offering them with challenging opportunities to avoid Resource Rot.

In addition to offering good benefits (a good salary, reasonable work hours, ample time off, health care, etc.), you must provide attractive work.

Your top candidates are looking for positions where they can do something significant. They want their work to contribute value. They want their work to advance the state of the art. And, they want recognition - both within your organization, and from the large tech community.

I have to agree with Michael - knowing they are appreciated, that they are making a difference, can be a BIG motivator.

Most often companies try to show that with dollar signs. However, it can also be shown with things like opportunities to increase their level of responsibility, expanded freedom in choosing projects, or a seat at the table in meetings where actual decisions are being made, depending on which of these interest the employee.

With IT unemployment in the hottest skill areas hovering between zero and 3 percent, companies are having to think beyond the recruitment brand to meaningful incentives like salary and career development.

Also, don't take your current IT staff for granted. I've been a technical recruiter for nearly three decades and have never seen this kind of demand-driven mobility.